Sorry, this isn’t really a rule! There are some words that just don’t have a reason for that final silent e. It may have come from an old English pronunciation. In this case, the silent ‘e’ serves no purpose. Sometimes we call it a ‘No Job E’.

Test yourself.
In the following sentences there are six silent ‘e’ words. Do you know why each of them is silent? Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Come and have lunch today at John’s. I hope you like pickle sandwiches and ice cream!

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